Karolina Pliskova has been one of the top tennis players on the women’s circuit over the last decade. Although a Grand Slam title is missing from her trophy cabinet, the 30-year-old has performed consistently across big tournaments in her career. She reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament on a couple of occasions, the US Open in 2016 and the Wimbledon Championships last year, losing in both.
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Pliskova has had a disappointing 2022 season so far. Her best result this year has been a semifinal appearance at Internationaux de Strasbourg. Further, in the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships, she lost in the second round against Katie Boulter. Following this disappointment, Pliskova announced some surprising news ahead of the hard court season.
Karolina Pliskova announces split with her coach
The former World Number 1 took to Twitter to announce a split with her coach, Sascha Bajin. She said, “Even good things sometimes come to an end. I would like to thank @BigSascha for everything he did for me and my team. It was an incredible time and I learned a lot! Mainly how to be more positive and believe in myself 🙂 One of the best coaches out there, good luck my friend.”
Even good things something comes to an end. I would like to thank @BigSascha for everything he did for me and my team. It was an incredible time and i learned a lot! Mainly how to be more positive and believe in myself 🙂 One of the best coaches out there, good luck my friend💪😎 pic.twitter.com/tACXEyspad
— Karolina Pliskova (@KaPliskova) July 11, 2022
Although their partnership didn’t yield any titles, Pliskova had a consistent run in tournaments under Bajin. She even qualified for the WTA Finals last year.
In the past, Sascha Bajin has had successful spells with the likes of Naomi Osaka, Dayana Yastremska, and Kristina Mladenovic. Additionally, he was also a long-time hitting partner of the American legend, Serena Williams.
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Martina Navratilova on Sascha Bajin’s impact on Pliskova
Navratilova hailed Bajin’s impact on Pliskova, saying, “With Sascha, he has definitely loosened her up in that she had previously kept everything in. It looked as if she wasn’t really enjoying herself on court.”
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Meanwhile, in the latest WTA rankings, Pliskova has dropped out of the top 10. She slipped eight places to number 15 in the world.